DataTables example - Complex headers (rowspan and colspan)

When using tables to display data, you will often wish to display column information in groups. DataTables fully supports colspan and rowspan in the table's header, assigning the required order listeners to the TH element suitable for that column.

Each column must have one TH cell which is unique to it for the listeners to be added. By default DataTables will use the bottom unique cell for the column to attach the irder listener, if more than one cell for a column if found. The orderCellsTop option can be used to tell DataTables to use the top cell if you prefer.

The example shown below has two sets of grouped information, grouped by colspan in the header.

Name HR Information Contact
Position Salary Office Extn. E-mail
Name Position Salary Office Extn. E-mail
Tiger Nixon System Architect $3,120 Edinburgh 5421 t.nixon@datatables.net
Garrett Winters Director $5,300 Edinburgh 8422 g.winters@datatables.net
Ashton Cox Technical Author $4,800 San Francisco 1562 a.cox@datatables.net
Cedric Kelly Javascript Developer $3,600 Edinburgh 6224 c.kelly@datatables.net
Jenna Elliott Financial Controller $5,300 Edinburgh 5407 j.elliott@datatables.net
Brielle Williamson Integration Specialist $4,525 New York 4804 b.williamson@datatables.net
Herrod Chandler Sales Assistant $4,080 San Francisco 9608 h.chandler@datatables.net
Rhona Davidson Integration Specialist $6,730 Edinburgh 6200 r.davidson@datatables.net
Colleen Hurst Javascript Developer $5,000 San Francisco 2360 c.hurst@datatables.net
Sonya Frost Software Engineer $3,600 Edinburgh 1667 s.frost@datatables.net
Jena Gaines System Architect $5,000 London 3814 j.gaines@datatables.net
Quinn Flynn Financial Controller $4,200 Edinburgh 9497 q.flynn@datatables.net
Charde Marshall Regional Director $5,300 San Francisco 6741 c.marshall@datatables.net
Haley Kennedy Senior Marketing Designer $4,800 London 3597 h.kennedy@datatables.net
Tatyana Fitzpatrick Regional Director $2,875 London 1965 t.fitzpatrick@datatables.net
Michael Silva Senior Marketing Designer $3,750 London 1581 m.silva@datatables.net
Paul Byrd Javascript Developer $5,000 New York 3059 p.byrd@datatables.net
Gloria Little Systems Administrator $3,120 New York 1721 g.little@datatables.net
Bradley Greer Software Engineer $3,120 London 2558 b.greer@datatables.net
Dai Rios System Architect $4,200 Edinburgh 2290 d.rios@datatables.net
Jenette Caldwell Financial Controller $4,965 New York 1937 j.caldwell@datatables.net
Yuri Berry System Architect $3,600 New York 6154 y.berry@datatables.net
Caesar Vance Technical Author $4,965 New York 8330 c.vance@datatables.net
Doris Wilder Sales Assistant $4,965 Edinburgh 3023 d.wilder@datatables.net
Angelica Ramos System Architect $2,875 London 5797 a.ramos@datatables.net
Gavin Joyce Developer $4,525 Edinburgh 8822 g.joyce@datatables.net
Jennifer Chang Regional Director $4,080 London 9239 j.chang@datatables.net
Brenden Wagner Software Engineer $3,750 San Francisco 1314 b.wagner@datatables.net
Ebony Grimes Software Engineer $2,875 San Francisco 2947 e.grimes@datatables.net
Russell Chavez Director $3,600 Edinburgh 8899 r.chavez@datatables.net
Michelle House Integration Specialist $3,750 Edinburgh 2769 m.house@datatables.net
Suki Burks Developer $2,875 London 6832 s.burks@datatables.net
Prescott Bartlett Technical Author $6,730 London 3606 p.bartlett@datatables.net
Gavin Cortez Technical Author $6,730 San Francisco 2860 g.cortez@datatables.net
Martena Mccray Integration Specialist $4,080 Edinburgh 8240 m.mccray@datatables.net
Unity Butler Senior Marketing Designer $3,750 San Francisco 5384 u.butler@datatables.net
Howard Hatfield Financial Controller $4,080 San Francisco 7031 h.hatfield@datatables.net
Hope Fuentes Financial Controller $4,200 San Francisco 6318 h.fuentes@datatables.net
Vivian Harrell System Architect $4,965 San Francisco 9422 v.harrell@datatables.net
Timothy Mooney Financial Controller $4,200 London 7580 t.mooney@datatables.net
Jackson Bradshaw Director $5,000 New York 1042 j.bradshaw@datatables.net
Miriam Weiss Support Engineer $4,965 Edinburgh 2120 m.weiss@datatables.net
Bruno Nash Software Engineer $4,200 London 6222 b.nash@datatables.net
Odessa Jackson Support Engineer $3,600 Edinburgh 9383 o.jackson@datatables.net
Thor Walton Developer $3,600 New York 8327 t.walton@datatables.net
Finn Camacho Support Engineer $4,800 San Francisco 2927 f.camacho@datatables.net
Elton Baldwin Data Coordinator $6,730 Edinburgh 8352 e.baldwin@datatables.net
Zenaida Frank Software Engineer $4,800 New York 7439 z.frank@datatables.net
Zorita Serrano Software Engineer $5,300 San Francisco 4389 z.serrano@datatables.net
Jennifer Acosta Javascript Developer $2,875 Edinburgh 3431 j.acosta@datatables.net
Cara Stevens Sales Assistant $4,800 New York 3990 c.stevens@datatables.net
Hermione Butler Director $4,080 London 1016 h.butler@datatables.net
Lael Greer Systems Administrator $3,120 London 6733 l.greer@datatables.net
Jonas Alexander Developer $5,300 San Francisco 8196 j.alexander@datatables.net
Shad Decker Regional Director $5,300 Edinburgh 6373 s.decker@datatables.net
Michael Bruce Javascript Developer $4,080 Edinburgh 5384 m.bruce@datatables.net
Donna Snider System Architect $3,120 New York 4226 d.snider@datatables.net

The Javascript shown below is used to initialise the table shown in this example:

$(document).ready(function() {
	$('#example').dataTable();
} );

In addition to the above code, the following Javascript library files are loaded for use in this example:

The HTML shown below is the raw HTML table element, before it has been enhanced by DataTables:

This example uses a little bit of additional CSS beyond what is loaded from the library files (below), in order to correctly display the table. The additional CSS used is shown below:


The following CSS library files are loaded for use in this example to provide the styling of the table:

This table loads data by Ajax. The latest data that has been loaded is shown below. This data will update automatically as any additional data is loaded.